


The Simple Truth

by sleepismyfriend



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-17
Updated: 2011-02-17
Packaged: 2017-10-15 17:46:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/163284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepismyfriend/pseuds/sleepismyfriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the danger has passed, Bill points out the simple truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Simple Truth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [miabicicletta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miabicicletta/gifts).
  * Inspired by [New Caprica is Burning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/104672) by [sleepismyfriend](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepismyfriend/pseuds/sleepismyfriend). 



> The prompt was for a sequel to my story 'New Caprica Is Burning'.

At the end of all the confusion and the crowds of people that have only just begun to clear the marketplace, Laura enters the medical tent to see Bill sitting on the edge of one of the cots. Cottle and Ishay are busy setting a man's broken leg, his screams growing louder and louder, and all Laura can think of is Bill, holding the simple gauze to his forehead.

"Hey." Laura approaches, and Bill lowers the gauze to look up at her. She doesn't think before touching the sides of his face, caressing both cheeks with her thumbs as if to reassure herself that he's really there in front of her.

"Hey," he replies, rolling the gauze between his fingers before reapplying it to the cut on his forehead. Streaks of soot line his face from where he jumped in the chaos to keep everyone back, stop the fire, and rescue the young couple that were trapped behind one of the stalls.

 _Thank yous can be given later_ , Laura thinks, as she then drops her hands and looks around at the other injured. Cottle and Ishay have been quite efficient, and most of the minor wounds have already been taken care of. If it hadn't been for Bill, Tyrol and a few knuckledraggers, the casualties would certainly be a lot more, and the marketplace would be gone.

Laura knows this just as well as she knows that this pipe dream will not last. One day, all of New Caprica will go up in smoke and then she can tell everyone that she told them so.

"You alright?" Laura turns her attention back to Bill, and a small smile turns at the corner of his lips as he parts his knees and she unconsciously steps in between them in order to be closer. _So many missed opportunities_ , Bill thinks, and nods his head.

"Yeah, a lot of people aren't though."

"Everyone owes you one." Laura takes the gauze from him, inspecting the wound for herself while bracing her other hand on his shoulder. She carefully dabs as Bill resists the urge to wrap his arm around her legs and pull her closer so that his head may rest against her belly. It is neither the time nor the place.

"Madam President. Admiral." Laura turns at the sound of Cottle's voice, the cigarette dangling from his lips as he quickly pulls it away and blows his smoke to the side. "I'll assume you know basic first aid, Madam President?"

Laura turns enough that her hand remains partially behind her, and Bill takes the opportunity to hold it in his own, giving her a gentle reassuring squeeze as she nods her head at Cottle.

"The bleeding's stopped for the most part. It doesn't look that deep. I'm sure I can manage." Laura tries to smile, her fingers moving of their own accord to entwine in Bill's as she squeezes his hand back. "That is, if you don't want to check and make sure it isn't more serious."

"Damn fool has a head as hard as steel. I'm sure he didn't damage anything."

"This damn fool is present and can hear both of you." Bill reminds them, and Laura turns, giving him one of those smiles that he adores and knows quite well.

"Well then, _Admiral_. Let's blow this joint." Laura smiles, motioning towards the exit with her head, and Cottle watches both of them leave. He doesn't think to tell them it's about damn time as he goes straight back to Ishay's side.

The walk to Laura's tent is fairly quiet, and Bill tosses the piece of used gauze in the nearest fire barrel in the mud street that's overflowing with random trash. Instead, he focuses on the fact that he's still holding her hand and that she doesn't seem to mind despite a couple of people passing them.

She only lets go when they reach her tent and it takes both of her hands to undo and lift the flap. He follows behind her and has barely let go of the flap before Laura wraps her arms around him with her forehead touching his chest.

Bill rests his chin on Laura's head.

"Hey." He wraps his arms around her, rubbing up and down and back and forth for comfort. Laura doesn't say anything when his hand moves to massage the base of her neck, and then her skull. He plants a small kiss in her hair before she steps back to look at him. "You never did tell me what happened."

"What?"

"Earlier when I arrived. You looked pretty frakking mad."

"Well, I was. S'not important." Laura waves her arms around before resettling her palms on Bill's chest. "I'm just glad you were here."

"So am I." His hand moves to touch her cheek, and they share smiles before a single tear falls down Laura's cheek.

"This isn't home. No matter what they do, it'll never be—" She sniffles, and wipes the tear away when another falls, and this time, Bill catches it with the pad of his thumb. Laura turns away, intending to grab and fill the small basin she uses to hold water when Bill catches her hand.

"No," he says, his thumb moving back and forth across her wrist as he pulls her back to him. "But it is something else."

"What's that?" Laura barely gets the words out of her mouth before he kisses both of her eyelids, her nose and then moves down to her mouth. This kiss is different than any Laura expected, not that she hadn't thought of it for most of her unorganized days in the school tent. He neither demands nor pushes, allowing her to give and take in equal measure as the kiss deepens and she finds her fists balled up in the front of his jacket.

"It's a break," he says when they finally come up for air, their forehead touching. "One that we've all needed for a long time."

"So say we all." Laura smiles before leaning into kissing him once again.


End file.
